Sometimes, the Spirit leads us where we least expect.

In March 1994, the people of El Salvador held their first democratic elections in more than 60 years. That same month, New Hope Lutheran Church took its first concrete step toward building a sister church relationship through the Sister Parish Program.

Originally, a congregation in San Miguel was suggested. But after deeper conversation with Sister Parish coordinators, another church rose to the surface: Iglesia Luterana El Buen Pastor in Usulután. Located in a region devastated by war and without an existing sister relationship, this small but mighty congregation was struggling, rebuilding, and dreaming big.

New Hope said yes.

By May 1994, the first formal communications were underway. New Hope sent photos and stories about its own church family. El Buen Pastor responded with a bold proposal: to jointly launch an agricultural loan fund to help local farmers restart their livelihoods. This wasn’t just a request for aid—it was a vision for shared mission and long-term development.

And just like that, the partnership took root—not in mere donation, but in shared planning, mutual goals, and deepening faith.

The Spirit was moving, and both churches were listening.

An interesting aside: the New Hope delegation would later meet Ruben Zamora, who is pictured in the campaign poster in the picture attached to this blog entry, when they first visited El Buen Pastor in 1995.. The delegation very much enjoyed meeting him and found him to be a charismatic leader and passionate advocate for the poor in El Salvador.